[Denchco]

Hi!
Does anyone have any photos of any of the self catered halls?
Finding it really difficult to choose, so any advice would be appreciated.

As Stenton Townhouses are new for the coming year I'm guessing they're a bit of an unknown, but if anyone has any information or opinions on them then I'd like to hear! How do people think they would compare in terms of social life with some of the other halls?

[staring.space]

If you have a look on my profile and on the pictures, I've got a couple of pictures of a Stenton room - and Mackinder is pretty much the same. I liked living in Stenton - the only downside is the flats are pretty closed off (I found) so it was hard to make friends with other flats. I was going to move into Stenton Townhouses for my final year (before I managed to get a house) which seem sociable, so if you're looking for more people to socialise with I'd go with that!

[iamnotasealion]

Howdy, am currently in Wessex. I'm really sorry, I was entirely ready to leap up and take some photos for you, but then I remembered the drop (and subsequent death) of my camera last week at the union D:
Can describe things to you in some ridiculous depth though, since I'm sitting in my Wessex room as we speak. Absolute essay coming up:
Room has a single bed, a truly massive wardrobe (with full length mirror on the inside of the door), a desk with three drawers, a swivelly chair, a small set of four drawers, and a set of two larger drawers inexplicably hiding in the wardobe. If you have an absurd amount of stuff like me, there is also room for underbed storage and/or those stacked drawer things you can buy. Pinboard is huge (takes up pretty much a whole wall) and there are three big shelves above your desk as well. Sink area has another mirror and a cupboard for bathroom items. Oh also the room comes with its own desk lamp, extension socket and ethernet cable (some rooms get good wireless, others don't, but most people just rearrange their room/buy a longer ethernet cable so the wire reaches their bed regardless). It's also a good size - bigger than I was expecting, anyway.
Bottom line is, Wessex is not as awesome-looking as the newer places. But it is a) cheaper and b) so much better built for sociability. In Mackinder, Stenton etc, each 'flat' (of about eight people) is locked and self-contained, and what I've heard from my friends there is that you don't really get to know many people outside of your little unit. Whereas in Wessex, you have the run of the whole halls (apart from kitchens which are locked so not EVERYONE can steal your food ). So I've ended up with friends from every kitchen on my floor, and some from the floor above.
Pushing Wessex to a ridiculous extent here, but that kind of shows you how much I love it And everyone else does too - pretty much whoever we invite over for pre-drinks ends up saying they wish they'd come here.
Feel free to ask me any more questions (about our layout, kitchens, bar, TV room, toilets/showers, distances from places etc). I've written quite enough already for this post

[Biiz]

(Original post by iamnotasealion)
Howdy, am currently in Wessex. I'm really sorry, I was entirely ready to leap up and take some photos for you, but then I remembered the drop (and subsequent death) of my camera last week at the union D:
Can describe things to you in some ridiculous depth though, since I'm sitting in my Wessex room as we speak. Absolute essay coming up:
Room has a single bed, a truly massive wardrobe (with full length mirror on the inside of the door), a desk with three drawers, a swivelly chair, a small set of four drawers, and a set of two larger drawers inexplicably hiding in the wardobe. If you have an absurd amount of stuff like me, there is also room for underbed storage and/or those stacked drawer things you can buy. Pinboard is huge (takes up pretty much a whole wall) and there are three big shelves above your desk as well. Sink area has another mirror and a cupboard for bathroom items. Oh also the room comes with its own desk lamp, extension socket and ethernet cable (some rooms get good wireless, others don't, but most people just rearrange their room/buy a longer ethernet cable so the wire reaches their bed regardless). It's also a good size - bigger than I was expecting, anyway.
Bottom line is, Wessex is not as awesome-looking as the newer places. But it is a) cheaper and b) so much better built for sociability. In Mackinder, Stenton etc, each 'flat' (of about eight people) is locked and self-contained, and what I've heard from my friends there is that you don't really get to know many people outside of your little unit. Whereas in Wessex, you have the run of the whole halls (apart from kitchens which are locked so not EVERYONE can steal your food ). So I've ended up with friends from every kitchen on my floor, and some from the floor above.
Pushing Wessex to a ridiculous extent here, but that kind of shows you how much I love it And everyone else does too - pretty much whoever we invite over for pre-drinks ends up saying they wish they'd come here.
Feel free to ask me any more questions (about our layout, kitchens, bar, TV room, toilets/showers, distances from places etc). I've written quite enough already for this post

Heyaa, is there any chance that you know anything about Benyon Halls?

[Denchco]

Cheers for the replies guys, really given me something to think about!

I've just spoken to a friend who's at reading and he seems to think that the stenton townhouses will probably be taken mainly by 2nd and 3rd years. Dunno if that will be the case but it's making me think that somewhere like wessex might be a better option!

@iamnotasealion - that really is a ridiculous amount of detail, thank you! haha The social side of wessex does sound really good, and it's cheap! Though at the same time some of the newer halls do look really nice, so hard to decide!

[vikap]

are all wessex rooms already taken? it doesnt come up on my accommodation application options